Invitation to visit problem roads repeated.

Byline: By Ross Smith 

Transport Minister Stephen Ladyman was last night urged to take up an invitation to visit the North after his department's deadline for replying to the letter passed without response.

Mr Ladyman was invited on March 16 by leaders of the Go For Jobs campaign to discuss hold-ups to development caused by the region's poor roads network.

However, he has yet to give a decision on whether he will take up the offer to visit areas where controversial Article 14 notices have prevented job-creating business sites getting planning permission.

The Department for Transport has a policy of replying to letters within 20 working days, which means a response is now due.

The letter was written after Mr Ladyman described concerns over the use of Article 14s in the North-East as an "awful lot of fuss" during a Westminster debate.

It was signed by North-East Chamber of Commerce president Maggie Pavlou, Journal editor Brian Aitken, and Darren Thwaites, editor of our sister paper the Evening Gazette on Teesside.

Yesterday, the Department for Transport said that a letter written by Transport Secretary Alistair Darling to The Journal, defending use of Article 14 notices, had been sent within 20 days of the invitation.

He wrote: "We want development, we support jobs and we want to see it matched to proper planning and integrated transport solutions in the region."

However, his letter did not indicate that it was connected to the request sent to Mr Ladyman, and made no reference to a minister visiting the North-East.

Officials said last night that they were checking Mr Ladyman's diary.

North-East Chamber of Commerce policy director Andrew Sugden said: "If the minister is genuinely checking his diary, then that's good news, and we look forward to seeing him up here.

"The invitation still stands. All of the parties involved in Go For Jobs are keen to explain to the minister the issues we're facing in this region and look at opportunities to resolve them."